If you know you have ADHD, you’re probably aware of how distractibility, impulsiveness or difficulty “keeping track” of everyday life affects you. But are you aware of how it affects your communication style with loved ones?

To address this aspect of ADHD’s potential effect on interpersonal relationships, let’s consider a few examples:

Distractibility may cause you to miss what's being said or being asked of you – or to even appear disinterested.

A busy mind drowns out the details of the conversation for a few minutes, or plans rebuttals for what it anticipates coming next, or doesn’t fully wait to hear out another person’s perspective.

None of this is intentional, of course, but all of it influences how you come across and engage with others.

Whether speaking or listening, we can hone our ability to communicate as we would any other skill. One proven method is through the practice of mindfulness. Think of mindfulness simply as getting out of “autopilot” – that habit of automatically acting and reacting while mentally we are somewhere else entirely. On the outside, we’re smiling and nodding to someone but inside we’re lost in thoughts of the future, past, or anywhere our mind travels.

Subscribe via email

Subscribe To

About Me

San Francisco-based Adult ADHD expert Gina Pera is the author of a comprehensive guide for adults with ADHD and their partners: Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?

The book has received four national awards and has earned praise from professionals as well as adults with ADHD and their loved ones.

Gina Pera's previous journalistic work for USA WEEKEND magazine won the Unity Award in Media, which recognizes accurate exposure of issues affecting minorities and people with disabilities.

For the past decade, she has written about Adult ADHD while also advocating for better awareness and treatment standards. A popular international speaker, she leads ADHD discussion groups in Silicon Valley and an 800-member international online group for partners of adults with ADHD.

Click the cover below to learn more about Gina's guide for adults with ADHD and their partners